An Effortless Life

They say that with age comes wisdom. But does it?

What knowledge do I possess now that I did not thirty, forty, or fifty years ago? Exactly who is it that is now wise, where he was once “unwise”? Was I not already endowed — from birth — with all of the essential qualities needed to fully experience and appreciate life? Have I not always been able to see, hear, smell, taste, and touch? Have I not always been a “child of the Universe”?

Real wisdom is inherent in everyone. We know how to live; how to exist; and we do. Moreover, we live without effort; but our limited conscious minds tell us otherwise.

Does real living require any effort? It takes no effort to see, hear, touch, smell or taste. Really think about the following: no mental or physical exertion is required for your heart to beat; thoughts come and go — effortlessly;  the blood circulates; breathing goes in and out as the body maintains a proper temperature; food is digested and the body rids itself of waste; hair and nails grow; the mouth stays moist with saliva; cuts and bruises heal on their own. All of this, and more, happens with no conscious effort.

Everything which is done without conscious attention is done effortlessly. When ego and conscious attention get in the way, a “struggle” ensues and life seems difficult. 

Imagine trying, through force, to taste, hear, smell, feel, and see. Just try using your conscious attention to stop thoughts from entering your mind. It's impossible.

When restless thoughts do subside, they do so not by effort, but by an acceptance and appreciation of the present experience. Then we see beyond concepts, duality, and all the illusions created by the ego-conscious mind. Then we experience life as it is — an effortless expression of the True Self.

A Thief Leaves The Moon

Ryokan, a Zen master, lived the simplest kind of life in a little hut at the foot of a mountain. One evening a thief visited the hut only to discover there was nothing in it to steal. 

Ryokan returned and caught him. “You may have come a long way to visit me,” he told the prowler, “and you should not return empty-handed. Please take my clothes as a gift.” 

The thief was bewildered. He took the clothes and slunk away. 

Ryokan sat naked, watching the moon. “Poor fellow,” he mused, “I wish I could give him this beautiful moon."

Wisdom From The Tree

 The following is from a post from the highly recommended site Pure Silence:

"I had a short discussion with a couple of co-workers this last evening and the question of "Well, why are we here? What is our purpose in this life?" came up. I didn't have a really good answer at the time so I really could not respond to the question, but later on this came to me..

What if we were able to speak tree dialect, and asked the same question of a tree "What is the purpose of life?" This tree might answer "The purpose of  this life is to blissfully abide in the loving silence of the Source of All. My purpose is to give back that love to all the other creations of the Source. For some, I would be shelter, for others food, and for still others, a home. In the silence, I don't "do" anything but simply BE. I realize pain, suffering and in some distant NOW, physical death will be my fate; the woodsman's axe may cut me and the winds of Spring may uproot me, but I remain silent and loving to the last. In return for the love for It's creations, the One sustains this object that I am with rain and sunlight and the nutrients of the ground. I grow strong and straight and become a useful instrument for the will of the Source. My life can not have a greater balance and purpose." 

If this same question was asked of the grass, the answer might be "the purpose of my existence is to be the silent carrier of the Will of the One. I and objects like me touch the lives of those who do not even know me. The oxygen I exhale sustains the whole world, to some I provide a source of nourishment, and even some of the smallest objects find me a haven and shelter. These objects from the Source need this loving gift and I give it freely through the Will of the One. I realize that there will, also be pain and suffering. Drought, fire and the hand of humanity may destroy this created object, but the Will of the Source supersedes all."

Now ask the ego-driven humans this same question and they will write volumes and volumes of text, create numerous religions, name numerous "gods", designate gurus , masters, teachers, saints and saviors. They will theologize, rationalize, hypothesize and criticize. They will create tenets, dogmas, policies and procedures. They will argue, blame, attack and create wars for the privilege of being able to stand on their spiritual soapbox and proclaim their "god" is greater that your "god", while at their feet are the voices of  the objects of the other "gods" , yelling, shouting , SCREAMING.....

....and the tree stands tall and silent, blissfully abiding in the peaceful and loving silence of the Source of All while giving love to all equally and  unconditionally unshaken in the understanding of it's true purpose of life."